Grapevine: Aiding and Abetting the Wine Bottle Genie
The holiday season is in full swing. Celebratory gatherings, family dinners, gift-giving all create a joyful, sharing environment that typically beckons us to splurge a bit – on others and on ourselves. A few more calories are consumed, a few more favorite stories are shared and a few more glasses of wine are (responsibly) imbibed.
Whether to impress business associates or friends, whether on the receiving or giving end of a celebratory dinner wine, consumers tend to spend more on individual bottles of wine during the holiday season.
So the natural question that comes to mind for many consumers who splurge on fine wines for special occasions: should my wine breathe?
My general response is given in the form of an if/then algorithm. If it’s young (three years or less) and low to moderately priced (under $25), consume it from the bottle. If it’s older and higher priced, decant it.
The principle behind decanting is simple. In the months or years of being confined in the bottle, wine continually evolves as a living, breathing organism. A simple red wine with low tannins tends not to evolve significantly. A complex bottle containing varying levels of fruit, tannins, acid and alcohol will require a longer period of time to mature. In order to speed the aging process along, enabling a consumer to enjoy a complex wine sooner, decanting is recommended, as it increases the amount of surface area exposed to air.
In an age where we increasingly seek instant gratification, aging a bottle of wine for years, even decades, is unacceptable. Decanting is considered an acceptable, even desirable, practice.
I remember anxiously purchasing my first decanter many years ago and my initial disappointment. I had received a bottle of expensive 20-year-old French Bordeaux as a dinner gift. Anxious to share this still maturing wine with our guests, I assiduously poured the contents into my virgin decanter three hours before they arrived.
To my chagrin, the wine’s still maturing aromas and taste were unchanged when I poured it. Dejected, I switched wines after pouring approximately half of the decanter contents.
The next evening, I retrieved the banished half-empty decanter and was about to pour the contents down the kitchen drain, but hesitated. Compelled by some transcendent force, I decided to try one last sniff and taste of the wine. Much to my surprise the wine had transformed overnight. It displayed a kaleidoscope of fragrances and a cornucopia of rich flavors. My wine palate was forever changed; built-to-last wines can provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
However, if traditional decanting seems unduly time-consuming, fear not. For lo and behold, 21st century science has come to the rescue with several devices. Here are two:
- A wine aerator. The aeration principle was developed by Daniel Bernoulli in 1738. I sourced the Princeton University website for an explanation. Simply stated, as the speed of a moving fluid (liquid or gas) increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases, permitting the infusion of air over a short period of time.
A few years ago I discovered an instant hand-held aeration device (the Vinturi, available at Wine Enthusiast in Mount Kisco), which enables wine to breathe as it is being poured. I have tested this aerator several hundred times and it has never failed to enhance the wine at hand.
- A blender. Is there a greater possible enhancement than a Vinturi device? The answer comes from several sources and has been dubbed hyperdecanting. Simply pour a bottle of wine into your household blender, press the high-speed button for 30 to 60 seconds and your wine is fully aerated, ready to enjoy.
I can intellectualize the theory: the faster and more massive the introduction of oxygen, the more “open” a wine becomes. However, I find it difficult to rationalize a glass of red wine topped with a purple head of foam.
If you feel the need to aerate that special wine, you have several choices. Whichever you choose, be you a Boomer or a Millennial, your quest for euphoria is at hand.
Nick Antonaccio is a 35- year Pleasantville resident. For over 15 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
